Apparatus and process for rapidly cooking food

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for rapidly cooking food includes a housing having a reservoir, a heating element, a binary distributor, and a container. In a method of using the apparatus for rapidly cooking food, food is placed into the container and water is poured into the reservoir. The heating element heats the water in the reservoir, and the resulting steam travels into the binary distributor. Pressurized steam then exits the binary distributor to uniformally cook the top of the food. Condensed steam gathers at the bottom of the container and is kept at a temperature capable of cooking the food. In such a way, food in the container is rapidly cooked. In one embodiment, the food to be cooked is a single serving of ramen brick style noodles.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No.61/925,986, filed Jan. 10, 2014, which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

TECHNOLOGY

The present technology generally relates cooking implements and methodsof cooking.

SUMMARY

An apparatus and process for rapidly cooking food is disclosed. Variousembodiments are intended to provide for an alternative, independent, andself-contained means of preparing food.

In one embodiment, the present technology is intended to provide a meansof rapidly cooking Maruchan, Nissin, and other branded ramen driednoodle brick type soups.

In one embodiment the apparatus includes a water reservoir, heatingelement, a binary distributor, and a removable container. Water storedin the reservoir is heated by the heating element, causing the water tosteam upward into a thermal distribution channel of the binarydistributor. The steam is pressurized inside the thermal distributionchannel and exits the binary distributor via outlet ports. Thispressurized steam exiting the outlet port is directed uniformly downwardover the food in the container. As the steam passes over the food in thecontainer, the steam cooks the top of the food and then condenses. Thiscondensed steam accumulates around the bottom of the removable containerand begins to fill the container. The hot plate maintains this condensedheat accumulating at the bottom of the container at a temperaturecapable of cooking the food. With pressurized steam cooking the uppersurface of the food and water condensate cooking the food from thebottom, the food is rapidly cooked by the apparatus for rapidly cookingfood.

In some embodiments, the apparatus may also include a gasket disposedbetween the container and the binary distributor. The gasket isconfigured to create a vapor seal that prevents the pressurized steamexiting the outlet ports from escaping into the environment. Theapparatus may also include a controller programmed to control the use ofthe apparatus, as well as a safety probe that automatically disables theapparatus. Furthermore, the shape and size of the hot plate, binarydistributor and container may be varied. In one embodiment, where theapparatus is used to cook ramen noodles, the shape and size may begenerally rectangular to match the shape of the ramen noodle brick.Optionally, the container of the apparatus may double as bowl such that,once the preparation process is complete, the container may be removedand used to consume the meal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The proposed design, details, and overall apparatus architecture of thepresent technology are outlined in the following drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for rapidly cooking fooditems, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an apparatus for rapidly cooking fooditems, according to one embodiment.

FIGS. 3A and B are additional perspective views of an apparatus forrapidly cooking food items with a container interlocked with thehousing, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of certain components of an apparatus forrapidly cooking food items according to one embodiment.

FIGS. 5A-F illustrates different perspective views of the top sealportion of the binary distributor according to one embodiment.

FIGS. 6A-F illustrates different perspective views of the bottom outletportion of the binary distributor according to one embodiment.

FIG. 7 illustrates an electrical control circuit according to oneembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following terminology will be used in accordance with thedefinitions set forth below.

The singular forms “a,” “an,” and, “the” include plural referents unlessthe context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to“a heating element” includes reference to one or more of such heatingelements.

As used herein, the term “about” is used to provide flexibility to anumerical range endpoint by providing that a given value may be “alittle above” or “a little below” the endpoint.

As used herein, the term “substantially” refers to the complete ornearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property,state, structure, item, or result. The exact allowable degree ofdeviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend on thespecific context. However, generally speaking the nearness of completionwill be so as to have the same overall result as if absolute and totalcompletion were obtained. The use of “substantially” is equallyapplicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the completeor near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state,structure, item, or result.

As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositionalelements, and/or materials may be presented in a common list forconvenience. However, these lists should be construed as though eachmember of the list is individually identified as a separate and uniquemember. Thus, no individual member of such list should be construed as ade facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based ontheir presentation in a common group without indications to thecontrary.

FIGS. 1-7 illustrate one embodiment of an apparatus 200 for rapidlycooking food items. In one embodiment, an apparatus 200 for rapidlycooking food items comprises a housing 100 used to cook food that isplaced into container 3. The housing includes a liquid reservoir 11, alid 12 providing access to the reservoir 11, a hot plate 9, a heatingmechanism, and an on/off switch 10.

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate one embodiment of heating mechanism used toheat food items of the apparatus 200 for rapidly cooking food items. Asseen in FIG. 3B, an inlet of a heating element 6 is fluidly connected toan outlet end of the reservoir 11 via a first tube 1. Heating element 6may comprise one or a plurality of heating elements. As seen in FIG. 3A,an outlet of heating element 6 is fluidly connected to an inlet 51 of abinary distributor 50 via a second tube 7. Heating element 6 is alsothermally connected to hot plate 9. In one embodiment (as seen in FIG.3B) hot plate 9 is thermally connected to heating element 6 by beingdisposed atop heating element 6. However, it is to be understood thathot plate 9 may be thermally connected to heating element 6 by anynumber of thermal connection, and thus the placement of heating element6 with respect hot plate 9 may be any configuration as desired.

As seen in FIG. 4-6, binary distributor 50 comprises a top seal portion5 and a bottom outlet portion 15. The mating of top seal portion 5 andbottom outlet portion 15 forms a binary distributor 50 having a thermaldistribution channel 14. As seen in FIGS. 5A-5F, the inlet 51 to binarydistributor 50 is located on the upper surface of top seal portion 5. Asseen in FIG. 5B-5E, extending from the bottom surface of top sealportion 5 is a wall 55 defining a top half 14 a of thermal distributionchannel 14.

The bottom outlet portion 15 of binary distributor 50 is illustrated inFIGS. 6A-6F. As seen in FIG. 6F, extending from the top surface ofbottom outlet portion 15 is a wall 25 defining a bottom half 14 b ofthermal distribution channel 14. The arrangement of wall 25 of bottomoutlet portion 15 mirrors the arrangement of the wall 55 of top sealportion 5. Thus, when top seal portion 5 and bottom outlet portion 15are connected together to form binary distributor 50, wall 25 and wall55 align to define thermal distribution channel 14.

As seen in FIG. 6A, located within the bottom half 14 b of thermaldistribution channel 14 are a plurality of outlet ports 27. As seen inFIG. 6C, the outlet ports 27 are spaced within the bottom part 14 b ofthermal distribution channel 14 at predetermined locations such that theoutlet ports 27 form a generally uniform arrangement on the bottomsurface of bottom outlet portion 15.

Top seal portion 5 and bottom outlet portion 15 are constructed suchthat when the two portions are connected together, the two portions forma tight seal connection that is configured to prevent steam and/or fluidfrom escaping from the thermal distribution channel 14 of the binarydistributor 50 except for through outlet ports 27. Alternatively binarydistributor 50 can be constructed as a unitary component comprising aninlet 51, a thermal distribution channel 14, and outlet ports 27.Although FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate one embodiment of the pattern, size,shape and configuration of thermal distribution channel 14 and outletports 27, it should be recognized that that the pattern, size, shape andconfiguration of both the thermal distribution channel 14 and outletports 27, as well as the number of outlet ports 27 may be varied. Itshould also be understood that the shape and size of container 3 cantake on any numerous embodiments. Furthermore, although in oneembodiment (as seen in FIG. 4) the shape and size of hot plate 9 andbinary distributor 50 generally match the shape and size of container 3,the shape and size of hot plate 9 and binary distributor 50 can compriseany number of shapes and sizes.

As seen in FIG. 7, the apparatus 200 for rapidly cooking food items mayalso incorporate a safety feature. After all water has left reservoir11, the water level probe shown in FIG. 7 is triggered, opening thecooking circuit and disabling heating element 6. The user can then openlid 12, disengage container 3 from the binary distributor gasket 4, andremove the rapidly cooked food contained in container 3.

Additionally, the apparatus 200 for rapidly cooking food items mayoptionally include a controller. Controller may be programmed to controlany number of features of the apparatus 200 for rapidly cooking fooditems. For example, the controller may be programed to control theamount of water in reservoir 11 to use when cooking food. Based on auser selected input of the type of food and the amount of food to becooked, or the desired amount of water to be used, the controller maycontrol the apparatus 200 for rapidly cooking food items to only use apredetermined amount of water regardless of the amount of water inreservoir 11. Among other things, controller may also be programmed to:separately and independently control heating of the hot plate 9 and thewater in the reservoir 11 using the heating element 6; control thetemperature of hot plate 9 based on a user input of the type of foodand/or the amount of food to be cooked; automatically switch off thedevice after a predetermined time; allow the heating element 6 to act ina ‘warm only’ mode wherein heating element 6 only heats hot plate 9 andnot water once a predetermined amount of time has passed; sound an alarmwhen the food has finished cooking; etc.

In use, food desired to be cooked using the apparatus 200 for rapidlycooking food items is placed into container 3, and container 3 isinserted into housing 100 such that container 3 rests atop hot plate 9.Lid 12 is lifted and a desired amount of water is poured into reservoir11. Lid 12 is closed and the apparatus 200 is turned on using on/offswitch 10.

When the apparatus 200 in turned on using the on/off switch 10, heatingelement 6 is turned on, and liquid from the reservoir 11 flows throughthe reservoir-to-heater tube 1 and into heating element 6. Once thewater in the heating element 6 begins to boil, steam generated from theboiling water rises up through the heater-to-distributor tube 7 andenters into thermal distribution channel 14 of the binary distributor 50via inlet 51.

As steam accumulates in the thermal distribution channel 14, theresulting pressure buildup will force steam out from thermaldistribution channel 14 through the outlet ports 27 and into thecontainer 3 in an evenly distributed manner. This high pressure steamwill evenly cook the top portion of the food in container 3 whilecondensing into near boiling water about the bottom of the container 3.Because the hot plate 9 is thermally connected to and thus heated byheating element 6, the near boiling water that accumulates at the bottomof container 3 remains at a temperature capable of cooking the food incontainer 3.

In one embodiment, the speed at which food is cooked is increased byincorporating a gasket 4 that is configured to create a vapor tight sealbetween container 3 and binary distributor 50. Because the vapor tightseal produced by gasket 4 is configured to prevent or minimize steamevaporating and escaping container 3, pressure within container 3 isincreased. This increased pressure within the container 3 furtherencourages condensation of the steam at the bottom of container 3. Thisaccumulated condensed water, which is reheated by the hot plate 9,increases the rate at which food in container 3 is cooked.

In one embodiment, the food to be cooked includes ramen noodles such asMaruchan, Nissin, and other branded ramen dried noodle brick type soups.Preferably, in this embodiment container 3 comprises a generallyrectangular shape matching the shape of the ramen dried noodle brick.Container 3 is sized so as to be large enough to accommodate the ramennoodles and broth once the ramen dried noodle brick has been cooked bythe apparatus 200 for rapidly cooking food items. In this embodiment,the reservoir II may specifically be designed to hold a volume of waterneeded to cook the ramen brick style noodles. The inside of thereservoir 11 may include a marking indicating to a user how much waterto pour into the reservoir 11. In this embodiment, the apparatus 200 forrapidly cooking food items may be programmed to automatically disablethe after a predetermined time that is needed to specifically cook ramenbrick style noodles. Additionally or alternatively, the apparatus 200for rapidly cooking food items may include a probe (such as describedwith reference to FIG. 7), wherein after the predetermined amount ofwater need to cook ramen brick style noodles has left reservoir 11, thewater level probe shown in FIG. 7 is triggered, opening the cookingcircuit and disabling heating element 6.

When cooking certain foods—such as, e.g. ramen noodles—it is desirablefor the food to be cooked simultaneously by high-pressure steam and bythe reheated condensed water that collects in container 3, (e.g. as inthe embodiments described above). However, when cooking other types offood it may be desirable for the food to only be cooked by steam. Thus,in an alternative embodiment, container 3 may include a top strainerportion and a bottom tray portion (not shown). The bottom of topstrainer portion may include a plurality of openings. When thehigh-pressure steam that emerges from the outlet ports 27 of binarydistributor 50 condenses, the water will pass through the plurality ofopenings at the bottom of the top strainer portion and will insteadcollect in the bottom tray portion. Because bottom tray portion is incontact with hot plate 9, the near boiling water that collects in bottomtray portion will be reheated. Hot plate 9 can be programmed andcontrolled to achieve a temperature high enough to bring the watercollecting in bottom tray portion to a boil. Thus, as the collectedwater in the tray portion is reheated by the hot plate 9 to boilingtemperature, the water in the tray portion will begin to form steam. Thesteam rising from the water in bottom tray portion will then passthrough the plurality of openings in the bottom of strainer portion tocook the bottom of food in container 3. In this embodiment, in additionto including a gasket 4 to create a vapor tight seal between container 3and binary distributor 50, another gasket (not shown) may also beprovided between top strainer portion and bottom tray portion ofcontainer 3 so as to also create a vapor tight seal.

Of course, it is to be understood that the above-described embodimentsand arrangements are only illustrative of the application of theprinciples of the present apparatus for rapidly cooking food. Numerousmodifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent technology and the appended claims are intended to cover suchmodifications and arrangements. Thus, while the present technology hasbeen described above with particularity and detail in connection withwhat is presently deemed to be the most practical and preferredembodiments, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the artthat numerous modifications, including, but not limited to, variationsin size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation,assembly and use may be made without departing from the principles andconcepts set forth herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for rapidly cooking food, theapparatus comprising: a housing comprising a reservoir, a hot plate, aheating element, and a binary distributor a container configured to beplaced in the housing; wherein the apparatus is configured to heat waterin the reservoir via the heating element, thereby producing steam whichtravels through and exits the binary distributor so as to rapidly cookfood located in the container.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thereservoir comprises an outlet; the heating element comprises an inletand a separate outlet; the binary distributor comprises an inlet; andthe outlet of the reservoir is connected to the inlet of the heatingelement via first tube and the outlet of the heating element isconnected to the inlet of the binary distributor via a second tube. 3.The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first tube is configured toprovide for transfer of water from the reservoir to the heating elementand the second tube is configured to provide for transfer of steam fromthe heating element to the binary distributor.
 4. The apparatus of claim3, wherein the binary distributor comprises a top seal portion and abottom outlet portion together defining a thermal distribution channel;wherein the thermal distribution channel is configured to pressurize andcollect the steam entering into the binary distributor from the secondtube prior to the steam exiting the binary distributor to cook food inthe container.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the bottom outletportion of the binary distributor comprises a plurality of outlet portsuniformly arranged on the bottom surface of bottom outlet portion; theoutlet ports are arranged on the bottom outlet portion such that theoutlet ports are fluidly connected to the thermal distribution channel;the outlet ports configured to allow the pressurized steam in thethermal distribution channel to exit the binary distributor so as touniformly cook the top of the food placed in the container.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 5, wherein the heating element is thermally connectedto the hot plate; the container is configured to be positioned atop thehot plate such that after the pressurized steam exiting the outlet portscooks the top portion of food in the container, the condensed steamaccumulates at the bottom of the container; and the heating element isconfigured to the warm the hot plate to a temperature sufficient toreheat the condensed steam accumulated at the bottom of the container toa temperature at which the condensed steam is capable of cooking food inthe container.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a gasketpositioned between the container and the binary distributor; wherein thegasket is configured to create a vapor tight seal between the containerand the binary distributor to prevent any pressurized steam exiting theoutlet ports from escaping into the surrounding environment.
 8. Theapparatus of claim 7, wherein the food to be cooked comprises a singlepackage of ramen brick style noodles.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8, thecontainer comprising a generally rectangular shape matching the shape ofthe ramen dried noodle brick; and the container being sized so as to belarge enough to accommodate the ramen noodles and broth once the ramendried noodle brick has been cooked.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9, thehot plate and the binary distributor both having shapes and sizes thegenerally mirror the rectangular shape of the container.
 11. Theapparatus of claim 10, the reservoir generally defining a volume equalto the volume required to cook a single serving of ramen brick stylenoodles.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a controllerprogrammed to automatically disable the heating element after apredetermined time.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein thepredetermined time is a time required to cook a single package of ramenbrick style noodles.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising awater level probe configured to disable the heating element after allthe water has left the reservoir.
 15. A method for rapidly cooking foodcomprising the steps of providing an apparatus for rapidly cooking foodcomprising a housing comprising a reservoir, a hot plate, a heatingelement, a binary distributor, and a container configured to be placedin the housing; placing food to be cooked into the container; placingthe container containing the food into the housing; pouring water intothe reservoir; and rapidly cooking the food.
 16. The method for rapidlycooking food of claim 15 wherein the food is a single package of ramenbrick style noodles.